parallels
by pentafish
Summary: quattro and shark are so alike one another (however much they try to deny that). i try to explore the way both are so unexplainably connected :)
1. Chapter 1: that which we call a rose

... by any other name would—apparently— _not_ smell as sweet.

Because names are important.

Disclaimer: I don't own yugioh zexal, just my own ideas :)

 _A/N: Ok so..._

 _Basically how I imagined Shark and Quattro got their nicknames in that first tourney way back when_

 _Each horizontal line is a switch between Shark and Quattro, starting with Quattro. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Ughghfhfhakfl"

"... are you okay?"

"No-oh! I still can't find a name I liiike." Thomas knew he was being annoyingly whiny, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He had spent the past five days looking online for a cool codename, failing, and moping. (Not necessarily in that order.) Thomas numbly accepted Michael's cup of tea as Michael put the tray on the nightstand and sat on Thomas' bed, trying to cheer Thomas up.

"I thought you liked Delton?"

"Nopeity nopeity nope. It sounds nerdier and nerdier the more you say it."

"Um… some form of tetra?"

"Ew. That just reminds me of fish."

"Weren't you going to go with eye-vee two days ago?"

"Yeah, I was totally gonna with Roman numerals… But maybe in another life. They're _kinda_ last season's thing, and I've got to give my fans what's trending."

Michael just sighed and enjoyed his tea, hoping that Thomas would find another name and stop moping.

Enter Vetrix and his slightly-demonic child voice that grated on Thomas' nerves.

He... didn't like it.

It was just so… cringy. Ugh.

Like, "I am Quattro! No, I'm not Spanish, yes, I know what it means… but whatever, I'm gonna beat you up now."

Or, "You'll remember me four-ever, for Quattro is fabulously punny like that!"

Thomas moped for a couple more days afterwards.

If there was one good thing about his new name, it was its flamboyance. It was no commoner's name. It stood out, which meant _Thomas_ stood out. He realized that so many more spectators noticed the duelist with a catchy (and obviously fake) stage name than they noticed any other basic white boy's name.

(Also, it had that interesting _kwuh_ sound. Fun to say when bored. With accents. Also, there were soo many ways to write his name in calligraphy. It was insane.)

And once he was better known in the Asian duel circuits, it eased his awkwardness. He grew to accept it.

Thomas was just glad a lot of the fangirls out there didn't pick up on the simple, four-lettered meaning of "Quattro".

* * *

He'd actually signed up early this year for the circuit. He even beat Rio this year, while she was on an outing with friends. Beating Rio at something about _paperwork_ had pretty much never happened before. It felt nice.

Reginald had a great feeling about this year, even if it was the first year he'd duel in the "big kids bracket". As soon as he got home, he pulled out his deck and started organizing it. He was sure his burn deck would be at its best by the tournament's start.

An hour later, Reginald took a snack break. He was pretty much done for the day. Or, at least about dueling. He still had to do homework (ugh) and practice guitar (which actually did cheer him up as much as dueling did).

 _Dueling_. Reginald actually grinned to himself as he flopped onto his bed. Dueling tended to do that to him.

He wondered when Rio would find out he'd actually beaten her this year. She hadn't come home yet, though, which Reginald found strange.

 _Oh well_ , Reginald thought. _She's probably lost in her window shopping again. What's the worst that could happen?_

* * *

 _He had agreed. He shouldn't have._

It had sounded strange to him. He'd said it so many times before, but to adoring fangirls or inexperienced opponents. But this girl was neither.

"Hello, my name is Quattro!"

The most generic opening. Like, ever. He wondered for the umpteenth time why Vetrix wanted him to battle her, of all people.

Some light trash talk, the girl still wary, but Quattro's charm starting to work its magic. She opened up. Quattro opened up.

Dueling had that effect on people.

Then he drew... well, _that_ card.

* * *

A camera from the bank across the street had caught the whole thing, from passive orange haze to roaring inferno, on film. And Rio had been there. She could have died. She could have _died_ , and Reginald would've been truly alone in the world.

But she wasn't gone—almost, but not quite. Because of some guy who had risked his life to save hers. He was hospitalized now, for Rio's sake. Reginald couldn't even thank him properly—the guy had wanted to remain anonymous—and he had to ask a nurse to deliver the message. He had peeked into the guy's hospital room when the nurse went in, but all he saw was a lump of blankets and hair that was _maybe_ a brownish color?

Still, though. If the guy hadn't been there, Rio might not have made it out. She might have burned to death, or died of breathing in too much smoke, or have been paralyzed by a falling beam-

He had nightmares after that, of swirling orange flames and feeling helpless.

He hated feeling helpless.

* * *

Thomas was Quattro now. There was no way mischievous, smiley, but ultimately well-meaning Thomas Arclight was the same as Quattro, who felt like throwing up and had destroyed a couple of warehouses and _almost burned an innocent girl to death_.

But Thomas hadn't had a problem with Quattro gaining so much fame, hadn't had a problem with Quattro gaining so many fangirls, hadn't had a problem with Quattro gaining so much… happiness, in a sense. Quattro had a place in this world. Thomas had faded away, slowly but surely. _Thomas_ never would've used that card… right? But then, Quattro didn't know that the card would actually cause damage.

It didn't excuse him. Quattro knew that. Nothing excused him from following Vetrix's orders… like a puppet.

Thomas has never been the type to go halfway.

Vetrix had been proud. His brothers had been silent yet sympathetic. Thomas had been shocked. Did no one notice he almost killed a girl? Yeah, he'd rescued her, but they wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place if he hadn't followed Vetrix. But Vetrix was _proud_. Whatever Vetrix had told them, his brothers hadn't looked at him like he was trash. And Thomas had been left confused and hurt, somehow feeling betrayed by the people he called family. Quattro felt blank. Empty. Quattro belonged with Vetrix and Trey and Quinton. He'd done his duty, placed family above a stranger who shouldn't matter to him in the first place.

Being Quattro felt _better_ than being Thomas.

* * *

Rio had assured him she'd be there, saying it would take more than some jerk named Quattro to stop her. She also said no, she didn't know who saved her, but the doctors said she was at least... stable now, which was definitely an improvement. Maybe she could apply to join the tournament as a late entry or wild card if her eyes and her lungs and her arms got better. Reginald had felt better, at least she could kinda talk after a few weeks, she might be well enough to participate—

Reginald had his first duel, then his second, then his third in the tournament. And Rio... Rio wasn't there.

Because of Quattro. And the more Reginald thought about it, the angrier he got. It wasn't fair, and he couldn't do anything about it. He was helpless. He hated feeling helpless.

* * *

After being discharged from the hospital, he trained hard. He had already told his fans he'd be in the next big tournament, before the fire. A lifetime ago.

But true to his word, he entered early. He kept training. His fan base grew and grew. He was winning. Quattro was winning, everyone was happy for him.

Except for Thomas, who was still on the topic of Rio and Quattro's _fakeness_. And Vetrix. It was starting to disgust Thomas. But Thomas was starting to depress Quattro. And Quattro had never been the type to go halfway.

* * *

Reginald was doing well in the tournament. _Well_ was an understatement—people absolutely loved him. A child wonder duelist, relatively new to the big dueling scene. Why haven't we noticed him before? And what to affectionately call him, this duelist without a name he flaunted?

It had been a joke. In the semifinals, at a stadium not even close to half full. There'd been some really weird time conflicts, and another duel was happening the same time Reginald's was. Quattro's, actually, he found out later. Reginald's duel didn't get that kind of attention because the people didn't know him the way they knew Quattro. He didn't have a huge, vibrant, _fake_ personality like Quattro. He wasn't playing the chivalrous card, didn't have messily-styled dual-colored hair, and didn't have a $3,000 wardrobe. All he had was a bit of class, sass, and his trusty sweater vest.

His own overconfident opponent had been shook after Reginald's Torrential Tribute destroyed the card safeguarding his life points. His LP had dropped from 2700 to 1800 after Reginald's attacks, especially vicious as payback for dropping Reginald's LP down to 2200 in the first place. Stunned, his opponent had asked himself, "Who is this punk?"

And Reginald had naturally replied, "I'm a frickin' _shark_ , who are _you_?"

The guy actually flinched, probably because he hadn't expected Reginald to hear, and Reginald smirked despite himself.

The crowd went wild. Reginald's life was never the same after that.

As the crowd started to chant, he looked into his hand somewhat self-consciously. Which was when he realized—he could summon his faithful Big Jaws and end the duel in one go.

 _Shark! Shark! Shark!_

It was the crowd's mantra now as Reginald ordered Big Jaws on to his field with a spell and attacked his opponent directly. To Reginald's satisfaction, he had the perfect trap to destroy his opponent's last ditch effort to save himself. With a direct attack, the duel was over and Reginald was declared winner. The small crowd completely erupted, chanting Shark, Shark, Shark—

The moment lived on in Reginald's memory for the rest of the day. He was happy. He belonged here.

* * *

Quattro had a few contracty-people approach him after he absolutely finessed the semifinals. If he won the finals like he did the semis, they said they could make his name big. He'd be a star. Quinton had smiled, Trey had smiled. Quattro blended in, automatically relying on his public persona to autopilot through the "you're too kind''s and "thank you all so much"s.

When Quattro first got back to their manor, Vetrix had giggled and, simply enough, told Quattro to win the finals.

But later that night, as they all ate and relaxed, Vetrix called Quattro to him in private.

And then he told Quattro to do more than win the finals through merit alone.

* * *

He visited Rio the night before the finals. _A complication had arisen in her health_ , doctors told him. Something was wrong with her eyes- some cornea-retinal-relation-itis-blah. She wouldn't be out of the hospital for months, maybe longer. And Reginald felt crushed, even as Rio gave him encouragement in a voice still too raspy from the smoke. She had listened to his duel from TV, and jokingly called him Shark for one of the only times in her life. Reginald had half-heartedly defended himself—I never told them to call me Shark, okay—but also secretly thought to himself, Shark did sound kinda cool. Like he had a secret identity, another persona, like he wasn't super-snobby-and-spoiled Reginald Kastle or omg-he's-orphaned-give-him-pity Reginald Kastle.

It almost felt normal—a sister and a brother bonding, having a moment, poking fun at each other.

Before a coughing fit wracked Rio's body.

Before nurses came in and shooed Reginald away.

Before Reginald awkwardly stood outside the hospital door, feeling vaguely _cheated_ as he fingered Rio's rings in his pocket.

The moment had been ripped away by Quattro. Reginald recognized that. And he was going to do something about it.

It wasn't like Reginald was a bad name. Reginald was a royal name, kinda uptight, even, and had an edge of power to it. It commanded attention and dared others to underestimate it.

But Shark… Shark was much more casual. The result of a joke. But it was associated with the sea and it was misunderstood and it was _dangerous_. _Shark_ had an edge of aggression. It, too, commanded attention. It promised fury to those who underestimate it.

Reginald accepted it that night.

* * *

Thomas had never cheated during a duel for real (except when it was _really_ obvious and done as a joke to his siblings). Thomas had been hurt, would've thrown a tantrum and snapped at Vetrix. Thomas couldn't take this. Everything about this sucked. But Quattro was numb again, said alright without meeting Vetrix' eyes. I _t wouldn't really be cheating if I accidentally dropped my cards. It'd be the other guy's fault. I'd_ win _._

Thomas cried to himself that night before the finals. From the next day onwards, Thomas would only be Thomas to his brothers. Quattro would be the name everyone knew. And Quattro was okay with that.

* * *

The night before the finals, Shark dreamed of _crushing_ Quattro tomorrow, exposing him as a fake, doing something about his helplessness. Avenging Rio.

After all, Shark was his name now. And Quattro… well, he was the Shark's prey.

* * *

A/N: wow kinda dark at the end? Hopefully this gave some background to thomas' mental mess and reginald's aggression? anyway, i hope u had a good time reading. reginald, thomas, and their frenemy relationship are vv precious to me :)

btw, i'm not sure if shark knew it was quattro who kinda burned up rio in the canon... so this story might be au?

also constructive criticism welcome :) leave a comment, idk, any feedback helps (besides all-out cussing)


	2. Chapter 2: crowd-pleaser

_A/N: Big thanks to all who commented on last chapter :) they made my day_

 _This one's about the early part (everything before semis) of the duel circuit where Quattro found favor with the crowd, and Shark lost it (though not in this part? this one's more uplifting than not).  
_ _Again, it starts with Thomas and ends with Reginald._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

He was so nervous. So, so nervous.

 _It's not like there was going to be tons of people_ , his brothers told him. _It's only the first duel of the tournament. People come in late, you'll be fine._

That didn't stop the butterflies from threatening to tear him apart from the inside, though. Nothing he did seemed to make them go away. He did not feel okay. He'd taken deep breaths, smiled at his siblings before Michael left for his own duel and Chris left to talk to their father. They fell too easily for his confident words this time, he didn't want them to leave so soon-

* * *

He was pretty nervous. After all, it was his first duel in an _actual_ tournament in an _actual_ duel circuit where there were _actual_ duelists. Not that he was freaking out or anything.

It was a good, toned-down kind of nervousness, though, if there was ever such a thing. It kept him on edge and alert but not super panicky. He ran through strategies, shuffled through his cards, played with his rings as he waited for his first duel.

Plus, there probably weren't going to be a lot of people. It was a middling fourth (maybe? he'd taken a nap earlier and lost count) duel of the first round, nothing super special. The first one probably had way more people, since it was the first and all.

* * *

But then he was winning. He was excited and alert and did you see that he just stopped his opponents attack like it was nothing—

But then he _actually won_ , remembered his puppet's special ability activated even from the graveyard, pulled off one of those dramatic _is he still standing when the smoke clears?_ moments. He had definitely been standing, but at the end of his turn, his opponent had not been.

The crowd went wild. They were so, so _loud_ but that was okay. It was okay. He was doing fine, his brothers cheered and laughed with him and he was so happy. He won. He actually won!

His smile was genuine as the announcer praised his flawless win, and he waved to the crowd as he left. He felt awesome, on top of the world.

* * *

He hoped the nerves would leave him once the duel actually started; he couldn't afford to lose early because of something as stupid as nerves. Nope, anxiety was not the way to go. A little jittery as he took his place on the field, he felt calmer and calmer the more he dueled as he realized, well, frankly, he was the better duelist here.

So he… he actually won. He did it, yay. But honestly, it felt weird without Rio next to him. He knew his victory would sink in sometime that night, but now he felt his smile be kinda plastered, a little small as he just basked in the crowd's cheers. Wow, could they cheer.

He kept his chin up and back straight as he left, waving and smiling as he left, out of courtesy if nothing else. He knew that somewhere out there, Mom and Dad were proud.

* * *

He kept winning duel after duel, and though the duelists got better, he did too. He kept training, kept improving, developed his own style. His puppets were starting to win him fame (in the least creepy way possible). The announcer had definitely taken a liking to him.

And then he was a semi finalist. And he knew he could win it all, too, the way he'd been dueling. He would be more than just the middle child, the in-between of his talented brothers. He was closer to making his father prouder than ever.

* * *

He was in the big leagues now. He kept training hard, playing the computer and tinkering with his burn deck. His monsters, especially trademark Big Jaws, were earning him a special place with the crowd. The announcer had even called him a favorite to win.

Before he knew it, he was a semi finalist. He was closer to winning and beating Quattro than ever, and he felt great. On top of the world. His duels had been gaining momentum, matched by an ever-larger crowd. He felt that he could win it all. Soon, he would avenge Rio.

* * *

 _A/N: I will probably most likely follow with another chapter of_ _semifinals and_ that _final next chapter_

 _Constructive criticism welcome!_


	3. Chapter 3: crowd-pleaser (p2)

_A/N: Heyo!_

 _This one goes through the semifinals of the duel circuit. The finals will be next chapter :) but this one kinda preps for that. Enjoy!_

 _(This one starts with Reginald)_

* * *

In the semifinals, his opponent had him seemingly backed up against the wall. Yes, his field was empty, and _yes_ , he'd just lost a big chunk of his life points. But he knew he could pull through. And he wasn't the only one. Ever since the duel circuit began, he had never been the only one who believed in himself.

The crowd had been gasping and cheering the whole duel, and Reginald felt their support, their respect, even if they cheered for his opponent. It was so… _powerful_.

He had never known strangers could make him feel like he _belonged_ somewhere he rarely was. He didn't know that dueling could bring all sorts of people together like this. And he loved every second of it.

* * *

He and his opponent had started out small, testing each other, before things got… explosive. The semifinals had been one heck of a ride.

Yeah, he was lacking in firepower and still reeling from an effect early on. And, uh.

He _might've_ underestimated his opponent a little, _might've_ fallen for a clever trap on his second turn. But who was he to back down from a challenge? He just had to keep believing in his cards, his monsters, his skills.

And he wasn't the only one who did. He felt the crowd behind him, all the way. And it'd been like that from the start.

He marveled at how so many nameless people could support him so intimately. It shouldn't have been possible… But everything about the crowd, even the screeching fan girls, was exciting, intoxicating, almost. They _loved_ him.

* * *

He'd been knocked down by his opponent's trap. It had _hurt_ , but he was pretty sure his counter trap hurt more.

Reginald's opponent was a great duelist, sure, but nowhere as good as he was. After all, his opponent never made good on her promise to "finish him next turn". But Shark knew _he_ could finish it… this turn.

He heard it again- the crowd chanting non stop- as he Xyz summoned Black Ray Lancer and ordered an attack. He had never known strangers could make him feel like he belonged somewhere he rarely was.

The semi-finals had been _amazing_. Although the crowd was a little smaller, and the stadium a little emptier, it hadn't felt any less exciting. It had been an amazing duel, and adrenaline still pumped through him as the crowd roared for his victory. He lost himself in the sound, them chanting his new name. He felt on top of the world.

* * *

Maybe his finishing direct attack had more bite than usual, but he only considered it payback for an earlier spell that had knocked the breath out of him.

Yeah, his opponent was pretty good, but he knew that he was even better. And that he could win this turn once his attack connected.

The crowd had kept chanting and chanting. Gosh, they were loud. And they knew it. The voices absolutely swept Quattro away, and he lost himself in their rhythm of cheers as his attack connected.

So as he won, perfectly poised, he was happy. He'd found a place in this city, as one who could make hundreds unite in their smiles. He belonged here.

The semifinals had been _amazing_. The crowd was just as powerful and loud as always, though there was definitely less people than in his other duels. Quattro still felt his heart pounding and lungs heaving from the intense duel while the crowd screamed for him, chanting and chanting. He was on top of the world.

* * *

 **(smol time skip)**

As a finalist, Shark was prepared.

He knew exactly who his opponent was.

Quattro, who was his age. Quattro, who had also made it to the finals- which was not easy, this being their first year in the Duel Circuit. Quattro, who had hurt his sister so badly, scarred both her body and mind, that she couldn't duel or eat properly or actually live her life for a long time to come.

Quattro was kinda a gross stage name. It meant… well. Four. Which Shark assumed meant something special to him, but still. _Eh_ , at best. He used puppets, a dark-type deck. He handled himself well and knew his way around his highly customized deck. His flaw, if he could even use it, would the same as his own: arrogance. And the recklessness that comes with it. Besides that, Quattro was not going to be easy to take down.

But that didn't mean Shark wasn't going to give it his all. He was going to win, for Rio, and avenge her. Quattro was going down for what he did to Rio, and everyone would know that the bright smile Quattro wore masked only sharp cruelty underneath.

* * *

As a finalist, Quattro was prepared.

He knew exactly who his opponent was.

Shark, who was his age. Shark, who had made it to the finals, like him-which wasn't easy, this being their first year in the Duel Circuit. Shark, who he needed to defeat to make his family proud and be one step closer to getting back at what Faker did to his dad.

Shark used… well, sharks. Water-themed deck. Which was very… _basic_ … of him. He might've just found someone with as cringy of a nickname as his own. But despite his name, Shark was certainly one to beat. He was good with both effects and monsters, sporting a customized burn deck. His flaw, if he could even use it, was arrogance. Which Quattro could relate to, because sometimes he got too reckless himself. But still. Shark wasn't going to be easy to beat.

Which wouldn't stop Quattro from giving it his all, because his family deserved his best. He would take down whoever got in the way of the Arclight's vengeance for what happened to his father. Shark, with his assumed righteous attitude, was no exception.

* * *

And yet, deep inside, he knew there was something more to his dislike of Quattro.

He'd been so lost after he almost lost Rio, questioned why he was so _unlucky_ \- first his parents, and now Rio-

And dueling in the circuit had changed that. The crowd had given him a place in the world. He'd found people who appreciated his talents and personality as it was, and it'd been so empowering.

So maybe that's why the semis hadn't been as fulfilling as Shark knew they could've been, he mused that night. Sighing, he collapsed onto his bed and just… reflected for a bit.

The crowd loved him. That much was obvious. But they loved Quattro, too.

They were competitors. And not just for the championship in the circuit. For the crowd. For their love, their happiness, their smiles.

Quattro had taken away so many people from his own duel. It was, well, unfortunate. Shark had a growing streak of fans (and even... _fangirls. what._ ) attending his duels until he hit the semis. And it wasn't fair.

Quattro was the one faking his innocence. And Rio deserved revenge. So Shark would do it. Beat Quattro. The crowd deserved better than a fake as their champion. It'd all come down to the finals. Shark would train, and train, and train. And he'd beat him. It wouldn't be easy. But he could do it. Rio counted on him. He'd win, honestly, without burning up warehouses and other people.

 _But then the overwhelming need for revenge, the pressure to deliv_ er-

* * *

But he'd be lying if he said there wasn't something more to his need to beat Shark.

The crowd had become such an ingrained part of his duels and his happiness here. They were the ones who made him feel like he was part of the community. And right when his duels had been exponentially gaining momentum, the semifinals happened.

It wasn't the duel itself, nor the fans, nor his opponent's supporters.

It was the size of it. _Noticeably_ smaller than the crowd at his qualifier.

Again, a small hint of grudging respect for his next water-themed opponent. Because the fact that he was able to draw out so many people to watch his duel. Not Quattro's, despite all the work he put into his pubic persona.

He plopped down onto his bed after the semis, lost in thought about the finals.

The finals. He'd made it. And he knew it'd all come down to the finals. The crowd there was sure to be explosive, bigger than ever before. It would be a duel of a lifetime, he was sure. He trusted Vetrix's judgement-if this Shark kid was someone to take out for his family, Quattro would be more than happy to. It wouldn't be easy, as Shark _had_ made it to the finals and definitely showed talent. But he'd train more than Shark, and he'd be ready. Vetrix trusted him.

 _But then Vetrix told him-_

* * *

 _A/N: thx for reading :) constructive criticism welcome!_

 _also, i know i implied i'd do both the finals and semis this chapter, but this one got kinda long and i got kinda tired soo_

 _bye, see y'all later!_


	4. Chapter 4: crowd-pleaser (p3)

A/N: Welcome to the finals...! It starts with Thomas again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zexal, and the whole waiting room and dueling part was in the anime. I just... filled in the scenes a little, with thoughts and extra actions that I imagine happened off-screen.

I read a great fanfic called "gag gift guitar" (10/10 would recommend) that inspired the first part of the aftermath (it'll make sense when you get there), so credit for the mail part doesn't belong to me.

Enjoy!

* * *

Preparing to leave, he had placed his deck right on the edge of the planter in the common room. The common room his opponent would have to walk through to get to the arena. He was kind of glad to be leaving. The brightness of both the butter-colored walls and announcers' voices coming from the TV was starting to give him a headache. Plus, he needed to get away from what he just did to set up what would happen. _Did that make sense? I'm going insane._ He was done mentally preparing, anyway. For both the duel… and for what Vetrix had told him would happen.

* * *

He had placed his deck inside the box, carefully making sure he hadn't dropped anycard. He took a deep breath. In, then out.

 _This is it._

 _This is my moment._

 _I have to win._

Glancing at the clock, he figured it was about time he get out of his chair and move closer to the arena, like he heard Quattro getting ready to do from the other side of the planters. That, or go pee. The announcers' cheerful voices and the bright yellow walls were starting to wear on him. He thought whoever in charge of such a big part of Heartland culture could have hired an at least halfway-decent interior designer for the finalists' waiting room.

* * *

He made the mistake of walking too slow and heard his cards fall onto the ground right before the automatic door closed smoothly behind him-

Everything was too late now.

Quattro dully noted that his opponent was ten minutes early, just as Vetrix said. That's why he had left a few seconds before ten to their duel, just like Vetrix had told him. Vetrix had been right, as always.

Pressing his ear to the wall next to the door, Quattro heard a faint shuffle, and knew Vetrix had been right about Shark wanting to get an edge over Quattro. After all, he was too observant not to hear them. And he was too desperate not to leave them.

If Vetrix was always right, then why did his stomach churn at the thought of Shark looking at cards he ( _intentionally? Was that even the right word?_ ) dropped?

* * *

In the courtyard, Shark picked up the sound of cards sprawling. And the other door closing. Quattro must've dropped them in his haste to pee or something.

And then, a treacherous thought: _you could look at them. Just turn your head to the right…_

Shark knew he shouldn't.

But Shark knew he _could_.

But he wouldn't. It was wrong.

But then-

 _Rio_. The image of her, helpless in her bed.

 _The fans_. The sound of them, fanatically cheering for him from the TV.

 _Quattro_. The sight of that smile, fooling the crowd. The one Rio undoubtedly saw before she almost _died_.

And he looked.

* * *

He knew only a couple cards would be shown, with the way the ledge was low enough, his cards heavy enough, his deck stack angled enough. Most of his cards would land facedown. Vetrix hadn't seemed too concerned about it. Vetrix said Shark only needed to see one or two cards to be caught cheating. So maybe Quattro should just relax.; maybe he was overreacting. It would be Shark's fault, after all. Besides, Shark was on Vetrix's hit list, so he must have done something to help Faker.

But deep down, he felt like he was sinking. This was all so, so wrong.

He told himself it was to get Byron Arclight back. To see Chris not always stressed, and Michael not always worried.

He didn't know if it worked.

* * *

Only a couple cards were shown. And Shark was disappointed for the smallest fraction of a second, before he felt the guilt rise up in him. He sat there blankly for a second. _Too long_.

And subconsciously, he stood up. He didn't _want_ to, but he was already moving closer to see the cards between that gap in the bushes-

He turned away after what felt like hours, swallowing thickly. His memory wouldn't let him forget those four cards. In a daze, he thought to himself, _ha. Four cards._ Quattro _cards. Might just be enough to ruin me._

They burned into the back of his eyelids.

This was so _wrong_. No matter how little of an edge it gave him. He shouldn't have looked.

Quattro should've been more careful with his cards. And he was a jerk who deserved a loss after what he did to Rio. But Shark didn't know, didn't want to know, how much these thoughts actually comforted him.

* * *

With a small fanfare and strangely light trash talk, the duel had begun. The finals. The Nationals. Right here, and he was in it and feeling good. Not great, but smiley and excited enough that _good_ was okay for now. For this duel.

* * *

They had taken their places, eyed each other. And with that, they'd drawn their opening hands, and the duel began. _The_ duel. Of the year. And Shark was in it. He pushed down all negative emotions. And felt okay. Not awesome, but okay enough to be happy and focused about this duel.

* * *

The smallest hope was beginning to rise up in him. Shark dueled to duel. There weren't any hints of guilt on Shark's face. Maybe Vetrix was wrong.

Or, maybe it was still too early in the duel.

* * *

Shark scowled to himself. He thought by hinting at warehouses and fires during the first round, Quattro would slip up and acknowledge what he did to Rio. But he hadn't. Quattro was simply dueling, plain as that. But then again, it was still early in the duel.

* * *

Shark was tough. Cheating or no, he was a good duelist close to or on his own level. Plus, the only sign he had of Shark cheating so far was a flicker on his poker face _-after_ he tributed a monster and activated its effect. So maybe all the cards Shark saw had been pushed deep down into his memory. Or shuffled to the bottom of his deck.

* * *

Quattro was definitely one to beat. Sadistic and possibly unstable, Quattro was still a finalist. Quattro had only played one card Shark had saw beforehand, but it hadn't even mattered. The only sign, still, of who Quattro really was inside was a small flicker of _something_ across his face when virtual flames came out as a special effect.

* * *

Mirror Force.

One of his favorite cards. He set it down to end his turn. That card always brought him luck.

He wondered if Shark was going to get caught at all. They were both down on LP; it looked like a bitter battle to the end. They might have to actually finish the duel if he didn't get caught. Which was fine by Quattro. Screw Vetrix, he deserved to enjoy this duel. To the end.

* * *

Mirror Force.

It _had_ to be Mirror Force, the card Quattro just set down.

Shark felt his eyes go wide and his body tense up.

He shouldn't have known that.

But he did. And he had a counter prepared in his hand already. Because he had to _win_. Rio depended on this.

As he was about to shake off the guilt and set his card, an alarm blared across the field. And Shark felt his stomach sink. He knew exactly why their duel was stopped.

* * *

Quattro winced. Whoever was in charge of the alarms was heartless. Playing the video of Shark looking, from two different security cameras. For all the crowd to see. For all the crowd to place all their blame on one person, not two. For all the crowd to name one the victim, and the other the cheat. How easily the crowd was misled.

Just like Vetrix had said.

* * *

He felt empty.

Betrayed.

By the person in charge of security, who, in his or her haste, had simply posted the entire video of Shark cheating for all to see.

By the crowd, who had turned from fans to haters in mere seconds.

By himself. Because he was dumb enough to look, dumb enough to get caught, dumb enough to feel like he needed to cheat on the first place.

And he walked off the field alone. The head of the duel tournament had something to say to him.

* * *

He was whisked away by a mob of people. Reporters, more contract people, lightning-speed fans. Cameramen. Screams of "QUATTRO! WE LOVE YOU!" and "SOMEONE TRIED TO CHEAT MY DARLING QUATTROO!"

The fangirls were terrifying. And he wasn't _anyone's_ darling Quattro.

He turned his attention to the mikes shoved in his face.

"Did you know?"

He blanked. _Yes, I knew. I set him up and ruined his life for good._

"No, I'm… so, so shocked that he would do this."

"How do you feel?"

One he could answer honestly. Or at least, one Thomas could answer honestly. "I'm still in shock, I think. I would never want to win by default."

"What're your thoughts as the new duel champion?"

 _Completely undeserving. But that's okay, none of you care._ "I think whenever this really sinks in for me, I'll be pretty happy to be the champion. I'll try my best to live up to it and bring more smiles. Even though I didn't win the way I thought I would."

"All right, that's enough! Give him some room!"

Quattro breathed a sigh of relief as the contract people and their bodyguards finally fought their way across the mob to him. He made it, after all. He was the star now. The crowd belonged to him.

* * *

The executive head of the tournament beckoned Shark to sit across him.

He launched into what sounded like a scripted speech, about guilt and responsibility and public backlash how he should be ashamed of himself.

Shark glared at the wall, resisting the urge to snap that _I know, okay? I know I messed up and everyone hates me. I don't need you to tell me that._

And then his favorite part.

"We have to punish you, somehow." A pause, accompanied by a long, heavy sigh.

"I'll talk with my team about a necessary punishment. We'll probably mail our terms to you and schedule another talk, but…"

He gave another long sigh before continuing. "Be prepared to not duel in my circuits again."

Before he could stop himself, " _What?_ "

"I'm sorry. You've been a very promising duelist the whole tournament, and there will always be other tournaments besides this national duel circuit. This won't be the end for you if you don't want it to be. But see, with things like this, our team doesn't know how long you've been cheating and getting away with it. If our security team hadn't been lucky enough to check the cameras at the time they did… Anyway, we have to take drastic action."

Shark forced his hands and teeth to unclench. He straightened and left the room with a simple " _Okay_." before hot tears threatened to spill.

He'd almost made it. But he tripped up. He'd let the crowd get to him, and he lost them all.

* * *

 ** _The Aftermath_**

* * *

So much fan mail and sympathy cookies and whatnot. He had to get a special room and pull some favors with the mail company to hold all of it. He was getting so sick of it.

He left for China soon, to start a tour-style dueling career. If he won it all, which of course of would, he'd be the East Asian Dueling champion. And he'd be back for the next big tournament he'd heard was rumored to be in Heartland. His future looked bright. But inside, resentment built. _How dumb some people were._

* * *

So much hate mail. All shapes and sizes. The " _why did you do it"_ and the " _I think I'm still on your side?"_ letters got rarer with more news coverage on the issue, before they disappeared completely.

Shark got so numb to it all, and he couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Rio was more unconscious than not, with different operations going on. He lost interest in school. And he'd been banned from the nationals. Forever. His future was hazy. He was hurt inside, and let gangs and bullies take an interest in him, as one of them.

* * *

He'd call it fanservice. And that's what it'd be. Serving fans the truth about who he was, and making the sadistic part of him happy along the way. It would almost be okay. He'd be untouchable, with his cards and so many dedicated fans protecting him.

* * *

It was almost okay bullying people because he rebuilt his reputation that way. He'd always have his cards. And every time he'd savagely win, it would be without cheating. He'd think of how _wrong_ the majority of people were about him. And that he deserved a deck or two along the way for all the trouble he went through.

* * *

A/N: thx for reading :)

let me know your thoughts!


	5. Chapter 5: struggling

Because we all struggle...? idk how to title anymore

Shark was left in a pretty dark place after the finals…

And so was Quattro, but in a different way.

 _A/N: This one's set a bit before canon, and a small part is off-screen in the canon._

 _I hope this fic kinda sets up how they are when they're first introduced in the canon. Also, there's going to be one other person at the end._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

S

He didn't think he was in a great place at the moment. It didn't look like it, either. Shark wasn't fooling anyone when he said he was fine.

* * *

Q

He was in a great place in his life!

If you only looked at the surface. And a lot of people did. Great for them.

* * *

S

Rio would always be there for him.

She hadn't understood why he'd cheated, or been banned, or how he even was in the position to cheat in the first place. But she'd been on his side. Disappointed, suspicious, and unconscious. And trusting that Shark was trying to work it out, and that he could work it out.

Her, and that teacher, Mr. Kay, who always seemed like he wanted to say something to Shark, and _noticed_ when he didn't show up to class or blew off homework but managed to barely pass tests.

And, of course, he'd always have Quattro. Who hurt his sister and ruined his pride. Without him, Shark might not feel so lost every day.

* * *

Q

He would always have his brothers. And Vetrix, kinda.

But he had to duel, alone, and deal with fans, alone. He easily made other friends in the business with his charming and fun personality, but he knew they probably wouldn't last. He wondered if they knew this. He wondered if his fellow celebrities were actually horrible people inside, like him.

 _Probably_ not.

And he'd always have Shark, in a weird way. Because Shark was the turning point, when Quattro proved his loyalty to Vetrix over Thomas and boosted his own rise to fame.

* * *

S

He dueled for himself.

Quattro had taught him that.

He'd duel for Rio, if she ever needed, or if she asked again, if she trusted him to not crack under the pressure again. But she was at least _on track_ to a full recovery, and she could handle herself after that happened. But that was it. Himself, and Rio, because the rest of his family was either dead or lived thousands and thousands of miles away and were the same as strangers to him.

People who challenged him, looked at him wrong or underestimated him, they knew this fact well. Because their decks belonged to him now. _No one else._

* * *

Q

He dueled for his fans.

After all, that's what being a crowd favorite does to people.

But he made time for himself, too. He dueled against his fans in a random system, let loose his growing hunger for destruction.

It started out with people who hadn't done the greatest things or made the best choices in life. He called it justice. They were starstruck after meeting Quattro, and especially after he'd offered to duel them. And they were so, so excited after they thought they were winning at the beginning. They were _considerably_ less so when they were crushed into dust, shocked of Quattro's savagery. But it was fine. It was fanservice, and it grew.

His fans always came first.

* * *

S

Quattro made time for people. He was gracious and charming in public, and there was practically no unlikeable part of that public persona.

Shark hated it. He hated seeing Quattro's face _everywhere_. It was bad enough he was on track to being the Asian Duel Champion. Even worse? Running into some crazed fan with Quattro's face in hearts. Quattro didn't _deserve_ any of this fame. And Shark felt like he was the only one who knew it.

(... Although he might deserve some credit for dealing with _those_ wackos.)

* * *

Q

Shark was aggressive and callous when he felt like it. He wasn't in the news anymore. He didn't bounce back, never made any speeches or tried to people please.

Some days, Quattro idly wondered what it was like to be a loser. Someone who wasn't paralyzed by the media. Lucky, in a way. Free. But probably also weak. _He'd just crumble again_ , Quattro thought maliciously.

* * *

V

At another time and place, Vetrix giggled in delight.

The anger was oh so _plentiful_! More than a year of mutual hatred and little lies to themselves-yes, Quattro and Shark had themselves a most _exquisite_ hate relationship. It was beautiful, just like 69 would be when he called upon it, using all the abundant anger he'd reap to control it. And to imagine, he had so many other energy sources besides Shark and Quattro! His other two sons, and Kite, in particular. They were all pawns, in the end, to help him end Faker.

* * *

A/N: ...and there we go. surprise? i hope i kept everyone in character. vetrix was kinda fun/wack to write.

btw, school is starting too soon, so i prob won't be updating much, if at all. and if i am, that means i'm procrastinating on essays, so feel free to call me out.

idk if labeling each section is helpful?

lemme know :)


	6. Chapter 6: words unsaid

_A/N: Heyo!_

 _This one's a lot shorter than the others, and it's only a two-parter. The split in the middle will also be a smol time lapse that conveniently fits their duel with Kurage/Chironex in it :)_

 _Also, the ending sentence was kinda inspired by a fic i recently read called_ remember who i used to be (—who i am?) _. I mean, not that much, but I thought it was a good fic, so go read it for IV and Ryouga moments. I mean, if you want. I'm not gonna outright force u? okay imma stop rambling now_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _It's good to see you, Reginald._

One thing Quattro would never say out loud, though he'd _thought_ it since he heard Shark's voice from the back of that old mansion.

Because Thomas knew if he actually said it, he'd make it sound sarcastic and mocking instead of genuine.

Which wasn't exactly what he would be going for. Being genuine to Shark raised red flags for both of them, anyway.

Because it'd been too long since he left Heartland.

And knowing Shark was still alive and less hateful and as stupidly stubborn as ever was good news to Quattro. So he meant it. And if he said it aloud, it would instantly lose its sincerity.

Because Shark was strong, and arrogant, and insecure sometimes.

Like himself. And if he said it, Shark would see right through him. He'd see that Quattro _cared_ , and _ew_ , that was something Quattro didn't want keeping him up at night.

(Although him actually running to where Shark was might've already been a big clue.)

So he went with something that was purposely fake and cliché to greet Shark-no, Reginald-as Quattro finally saw Reginald from the roof of the mansion.

 _How's it going? Long time no duel, Reginald!_

* * *

For a second right after their win, that was all Shark wanted to say.

 _Thank you._

Because he'd been thinking a lot about their last duel in the WDC.

And Shark realised how easy it could've been for Quattro to shift blame to his abusive and manipulative father for what happened to Rio. But he never did. Because Quattro wasn't a coward, and he had been done letting his father control him.

Because Quattro had come back.

Which meant that the Arclights cared, and there were allies for Yuma who could fight against the Barians instead of Shark. Because Shark didn't trust himself, not anymore.

Because there was no way he would've finished that duel without Thomas.

He had definitely underestimated the throbbing, mind-numbing pain that came from Chironex' poison. And Rio might've been lost from the same poison. Because Quattro looked beyond Shark's pride and saw Reginald.

But Shark had this stupid thing called pride, and he opted for silence and a half-smile. Besides, Quattro knew him well enough to know what he meant.

… And Quattro ruined the moment with, "I hope you took notes on how a duel's supposed to be played."

 _Um, as if?_ Shark was just as good, if not better.

But he did worry a little less as he bantered with Quattro. After all, Rio was safe. He'd just won a duel. And saw a not- _actually_ -friendly-but-not-unfriendly-so-he'd-take-it face he hadn't seen in a while. Quattro reminded him that he was Reginald "Shark" Kastle, not an alien, something Shark didn't think he needed this badly until his own identity crisis.

* * *

A/N: i hope you enjoyed! let me know what u think :)


	7. Chapter 7: rio

_A/N: Uhh this ones about Rio, and there's four different sections... I labeled them (N=Nasch, R=Reginald) so it won't be too confusing hopefully?_

 _I don't own zexal or anything_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Before they lost her:

T

She was strong.

She could definitely hold her own against Quattro, who was no amateur duelist himself. The small fact that Vetrix hadn't even told him to beat her-just to use the card he gave him- _bothered_ Quattro. _Just a little_. As he grit his teeth against one of her ice monster's attacks, Quattro realized he needed to use all of his deck against her if he wanted to win.

Which meant he also couldn't keep up his tame façade for long.

N

She was strong.

Marin's magic showed it, too. She held her own against the enemy, her pure water magic a vivid contrast to whatever murky forbidden magic Vector's mages were using. The United Kingdom acolytes, many of whom Marin herself had trained, were doing phenomenal as well. But deep down, Nash knew that they needed to do better still to even _hope_ of winning against Vector.

They'd sacrificed so much already, but Nash was terrified of what else they'd need to give to end the Mad Prince's reign.

* * *

When they lost her:

N

Vector. Of course it was Vector.

Vector, Marin, and the bottomless abyss.

Spiteful, scornful Vector, his chokehold on an ashen Marin, and the way he victoriously sneered at Nash.

Vector, who hated Nash, whose vague threats for the past-however many centuries it's been-now made sense, and a dangling Marin, and, and-

Nash vaguely recognized himself diving off the edge after her.

It wasn't even a choice at this point. _He loved her too much to let go of her again_ -wait.

Again? Was this what having your life flashing before your eyes felt like? Confusing, illogical emotions, images, flashes of light made it hard to focus on Marin as she- _they_ -hurtled downwards-

There was no true fear in Nash as he fell, just confusion, determination, perhaps despair, because Vector, because _Marin_ , because they was _falling_ -

… But was that a light, a second chance, in the abyss? _Abyss._ That was his name. Nash wasn't sure how he knew before the deity had even said a word, but it didn't matter because he wouldn't lose her again, _not this time._

T

They looked really pretty at first, even artistic in its menacing flickering. He remembered thinking, _dang, the AR artists really outdid themselves this time_. And the heat, too, was very realistic. But, um, a little uncomfortable?

Warning bells rang as soon as he smelled smoke. But he reacted too late, because by the time he yanked off his duel gazer, the boxes in the warehouse had caught on and she was right in the middle of it all-

Panic and fear overwhelmed him and he froze for a second too long, because _goshdarnit_ the warehouse was falling apart at this point, the structure weakened by the fire and his own stupidity and _Vetrix_.

It wasn't even a choice, not when he did this. The smoke hurt, ragged knives on the inside of his throat as he pushed onwards, towards her crumpled body. But then a beam fell, and he looked upwards, eyes watering, as it landed on his cheek and he felt _pain_. Blinding, scorching, mind-numbing pain. He didn't think he would make it. He had to keep moving, legs and arms going too slow and he had to make it to her, make it outside.

But there… he could see the blue sky, tainted grey by smoke, a stark contrast to the orange burned on the back of his eyelids. He would make it, even if his knees felt like jelly and his whole body quivered. And he was determined she would, too.

* * *

After they lost her:

Q

Quattro hated himself for what he did to her. His own wounds, though painful, were external. A nasty thought told him he deserved it.

And was it really that wrong? Time would heal the rest of his injuries. The red, angry burn on his face would fade, and probably scar, doctors had told him. But Quattro would be physically healthy, well before the next big tournament.

Her injuries were far more lasting. She wouldn't make it to the next major tournament.

Quattro hated the uncertainty about her condition. How long would she be bedridden? How severe were her injuries? What exactly had he done to this girl, simply because Vetrix told him to?

No one told him. And Quattro was left struggling with his own guilt and fear, alone.

R

He couldn't protect her. He had let some guy set fire to his twin sister, the only family he had left.

He had been angry, depressed, cynical. He'd kicked his chair and ditched school, and found that he really couldn't care less about it all. Everything sucked, because he was perfectly _fine_ and yet suddenly struggling with life, while Rio was actually struggling for her own life.

He felt so much more upset than what should've been logical, because none of it had been his fault. The counselors told him the same. They said it would be okay, she was going to survive, he had to keep going. He couldn't control everything. But he was still her older brother, he was supposed to take care of her. And if she didn't wake up again-

She was all he had left. He couldn't lose her.

* * *

Annoying ppl and rio=fab:

S

Some boys at their school really were shameless.

Honestly, Shark had been a little surprised at the sheer _number_ of guy club leaders that had asked Rio to join them. And that Rio expected rides from him to the farthest locations ("I have a tight schedule and lessons to teach, Reginald, I can't just _walk_ everywhere!"). But it was fine. Not like he had plans after school, anyway. Besides, he could use the entertainment. And some time away from Rio's direct presence. Yeah, he was glad she was back, but he forgot just how much energy it took to be with her. So it would be nice when her intense attention was directed at other people.

He nodded goodbye at Rio as she skipped confidently toward the soccer field for her first challenger, then moved to somewhere with a clear view of the field. As he heard Rio's clear voice laying out the conditions of their match, Shark couldn't stop the smirk from creeping onto his face. They had no idea what was in store for them.

Q

Rio was nice to be around. She was funny, smart, and good at holding conversations. And also very forgiving. More than he was.

He was glad he'd finally (kinda-but-not-really) asked Rio out after the whole Numeron Code and Astral World fiasco.

(... It was more like "winner buys loser ice cream", but he'd take it. Screw Shark and his scary-judgy eyes, anyway.)

But wow, some girls were apparently very possessive of Quattro. Still. It'd been years, hadn't it? He wasn't nearly as active as a celebrity now, so it took him by surprise, that there were still devoted fangirls out there. It was just _incredibly_ unlucky that a group of them were walking down the block by the ice cream stand and all but screeched at Rio when they saw her sitting next to him, and, ohmy _gosh_ , _laughing_ with him?

And Rio had managed to shut them down _cold_ , with a sharp glare and cutting common sense. Not how Quattro would've done it (which would be with smiles and maybe a couple hidden threats if you looked closely), but very effective nevertheless.

Quattro couldn't keep a smile off his face. She was amazing.

* * *

a/n: yayy hope you enjoyed it! constructive criticism welcome :)


End file.
